High‐Molecular‐Weight Poly(vinylphosphonate)s by Single‐Component Living Polymerization Initiated by Rare‐Earth‐Metal Complexes

Transfer ticket: A group transfer polymerization (GTP) reaction mechanism operates in the living polymerization of diethyl vinylphosphonate, in which high-molecular-weight homo- and copolymers are produced using simple rare-earth-metal complexes (see scheme). The mechanism is consistent with the well-known and established mechanism for polar monomers such as acrylates, and opens up a new approach toward phosphorus-containing polymeric materials.